title: VEGF-D correlates with metastatic disease in gastric cancer patients undergoing surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of the tyrosine kinase ligands VEGF-A/C/D, PDGF-A/B on tumor dissemination and survival in gastric cancer. This is the first study analyzing all these parameters in a homogeneous patient population undergoing surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression pattern of VEGF-A/C/D and PDGF-A/B was analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 69 samples of human gastric adenocarcinoma and correlated with tumor stage and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of the ligand VEGF-D significantly correlated with distant metastatic disease (P=0.00001) but not with patient survival. However, VEGF-A inversely correlated with M1 and grading, PDGF-A inversely correlated with pT and pN category. In contrast, VEGF-C and PDGF-B did not have an impact on clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ligand VEGF-D, rather than the other ligands or tyrosine kinase receptors analyzed, is associated with progressive disease in gastric cancer patients undergoing surgery. The VEGF-D ligand might be a helpful marker indicating disseminated disease, and targeting VEGF-D may be a potential therapeutic strategy, although limitations imposed by the selected sample population have to be considered critically.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Carl C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Schimanski
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schlaegel
authors.forename: Mareike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moehler
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sgourakis
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Drescher
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Galle
authors.forename: Hauke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gockel
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D